Q: Who was the last U.S. president to own slaves?
A: Zachary Taylor owned slaves while in office. U.S. Grant owned a slave he freed in 1859, long before becoming president.
Stories by Brooks Jackson
Director Emeritus, FactCheck.org
Democrats Debate in Iowa
Richardson stands out for exaggerated and inaccurate claims.
Republicans Debate in Iowa
More exaggerations and misstatements in the final GOP debate before the Iowa caucuses.
Bush: The Constitution a ‘Goddamned Piece of Paper’?
Q: Did President Bush call the Constitution a “goddamned piece of paper”?
A: Extremely unlikely. The Web site that reported those words has a history of quoting phony sources and retracting bogus stories.
The Right to Lobby
Q: Are lobbyists justified in a democracy?
A: The Constitution guarantees the right to petition government.
Ben & Jerry’s Misleading Spending Chart
Q: What about Ben & Jerry’s chart saying 50% of federal spending is military?
A: Not true. The real figure is 19.4%.
Refugees Don’t Get $1,800 Per Month
Q: Does the U.S. pay $1,800 a month to refugees?
A: No. A false claim about Canada is being recycled in a bogus e-mail to “American taxpayers.”
Clinton and Economic Growth in the ’90s
Q: Were Clinton’s policies responsible for the 1990s’ economic growth?
A: He deserves part of the credit, but many factors were at work.
GOP YouTube Debate Flubs
The CNN/YouTube debate among Republicans lacked any talking snowmen, but we did note a few false and misleading statements by the candidates.
Fred’s Facts Check Out; Rudy’s Don’t
Former Sen. Fred Thompson got the facts straight for his GOP debate debut Oct. 9. But former Mayor Rudy Giuliani added to a lengthening string of exaggerations and misstatements: